Avatar:Toph Beifong
, |aliases = The Blind Bandit The Runaway |gender = Female |hair = Black |eyes = Cyan |age = Deceased |position = Earthbending master Only daughter of the Beifong family Inventor of metalbending Former Chief of Police in Republic City Proprietor of the Beifong Metalbending Academy |appearance = "The Swamp" (cameo) "The Blind Bandit" (actual) |voice = Jessie Flower }}Toph Beifong was an earthbending master and one of the most powerful earthbenders of her time. Blind since birth, Toph was constantly treated condescendingly because of her disability and stature, especially by her overprotective parents. Upon discovering badgermoles, earthbending animals who were also blind, she learned how to use earthbending as an extension of her senses. This gave her the ability to "see" through every tiny vibration that passes through the ground."The Firebending Masters". John O'Bryan (writer) & Giancarlo Volpe (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. July 15, 2008. No. 13, Book Three: Fire Having developed her own unique style of earthbending, Toph acquired a toughened personality and became famous for winning underground patriotic earthbending tournaments under the title of the "Blind Bandit", behind her parents' backs. Although initially uninterested in directly aiding the war effort, she eventually chose to leave behind her old life, and travel with Avatar and as his earthbending teacher when her parents finally became unbearable for her."The Blind Bandit". Michael Dante DiMartino (writer) & Ethan Spaulding (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. May 5, 2006. No. 6, Book Two: Earth Toph's total mastery over earthbending, unique personality, and thoughtful pragmatism made her a valuable addition to the team. History Early Life Toph was the only child of the wealthy Beifong family of . Born blind, she was sheltered by parents who believed her blindness made her fragile and incapable of looking after herself. They went to extreme measures to protect her, including hiding her existence from the rest of the world, which resulted in very few people knowing that the Beifong family even had a daughter. and expected their daughter to be well-mannered and proper due to their noble status in society, something with which Toph secretly disagreed, causing her to resent her parents' treatment. At the age of six, she ran away from home into a cave inhabited by badgermoles. Badgermoles were the first earthbenders and according to Toph, she and the creatures understood each other since they were both blind. She learned earthbending by imitating their movements. Toph learned to "see" through the use of her earthbending, detecting people and other objects through their vibrations, which she sensed through the ground via her bare feet. In the process, she also developed a great sense of hearing. Lao Beifong later hired the earthbender teacher, Master , to instruct her. Acting upon the orders of Toph's father, he did not teach her anything other than beginner's moves, unaware that she had already achieved mastery in the art. She became such a formidable bender that she secretly entered underground earthbending tournaments as the Blind Bandit, and was successful to the point where she became the champion of Earth Rumble more than once. After meeting Aang, Toph soon ran away in order to teach him earthbending, but also to escape her parents, who never granted her any real freedom. References